


Art Brings People Together

by triggered_lizard



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anti-Android Language (Detroit: Become Human), Artist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Carl Manfred & Markus Parent-Child Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gay Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Gen, Good Parent Carl Manfred, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Markus Loves Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Painting, Soft Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Wingman Carl Manfred, the revolution never happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24963451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triggered_lizard/pseuds/triggered_lizard
Summary: Carl has finally gotten the exhibition he wanted after he had taken up painting again, and Markus is beyond happy for him. The android had even gotten one of his own paintings on display.An art critique brings along her PL600, who is far more interested in the paintings than her commands. Markus can't help but be fascinated by the captivating android.
Relationships: Carl Manfred & Markus, Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	Art Brings People Together

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote this, but I hope you enjoy it!

“Welcome, Mr. Manfred!” A woman greeted them as they entered the long-awaited gallery exhibition. Carl had been painting for months to get enough pieces to fill out his promised exhibition. He had had his paintings on display several times in the past but had never gotten such a big space to fill.

It was also special because he had dedicated a corner of the room to his android, an RK200 named Markus. After a few weeks of trying to make Markus go against his programming to create something original, he managed to create something that really spoke to Carl. 

Markus wheeled Carl inside the exhibition as they both took in the sight in front of them. The walls were lined with different sized paintings. The lighting made the cold colors of Carl’s paintings deeper and more saturated, almost to the point where the blues looked like they were lit by LEDs. 

Even with how cold the colors were, the room felt warm and comfortable, with a sprinkle of professionalism. 

The gallery wouldn’t open for another week, but journalists and art clubs were allowed to get early access. Carl was there to review the layout of his section of the gallery, which looked pretty good.

“Mr. Manfred?” Carl turned at the mention of his name. Behind him stood a dark-haired woman with her PL600 android by her side. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” she shook his hand with a smile that was a little bit too friendly. “My name is Melissa Hudgens. I’m here with the Detroit art critique association,” she spoke with a tone similar to what one would use when talking to children, opposed to a grown man. 

“Art review? Like the press?” Carl had never been too fond of the press and taking interviews because he often found their questions stupid or them being pushy to get the exact answers they wanted. 

“We’re a private group of art enthusiasts, but I get your skepticism!” Once again, she grinned a little too wide than normal, but both Carl and Markus shrugged it off. 

“Simon? Simon dear?” she waved over to her android, who had wandered off to one of the paintings displaying two hands reaching out for each other. One of them looked entirely mechanical, while the other still had its skin, but its chassis showed in patches. The bottom of the painting showed something akin to a wavy sea, as if one of them was drowning, while the other was bright like the sun. He looked at the painting with hope in his eyes, but it turned gloomy at the mention of his name.

He made his way over to her but kept his head down. “Would you be a sweetheart and show Mr. Manfred our brochure?” Melissa gestured to the handbag he was holding. He pulled out a digital brochure and handed it to Carl. Markus peeked over his shoulder and scanned the words on the screen. 

“You know I don’t do interviews anymore,” Carl reminded her, handing the brochure back to her android. Markus tensed his grip on Carl’s wheelchair at the memory of the last interview he had with a terrible host, who insisted that Carl’s paintings had been a waste of time.

“Please think about it, sir. We would be ecstatic having you visit our group!” She encouraged him with the same bright grin she had greeted him with. 

“Simon? I swear he’s wandering off every time I take my eyes off him…” She sighed and looked around. The android had gone back to the painting he had inspected before. She grew increasingly displeased as he didn’t respond to her. “Simon!” Simon flinched at the yell of his name and shuffled over to her with the same posture he had before. His LED flashed an angry red and he fumbled with the sleeves of his shirt.

“Why do you keep running away?” Her teeth grid together as she grabbed her handbag from her android. “Jesus…”

^^^Software instability

Markus felt his system heat up as the android stuttered his way through his excuse. He had never felt the need or want to protect someone other than Carl, which was against his programming. He knew something was faulty in his software, which Carl had assured him was for the better. 

“Can you ask someone if they have a room where we can talk in private?” Carl gave Markus his ID, which he had put in his pocket. Markus nodded, taking the badge and locating the nearest staff. However, he got stopped by a brush of his arm. “Take Simon with you, if it’s alright with miss Hudgens here?” 

Melissa rolled her eyes at the way her android beamed at the suggestion. “He’s going to run off anyways,” she stated, granting Simon permission to leave her. Simon quickly shuffled over to Markus’s side, but still kept a fair distance behind him. “I think he has a virus. He doesn’t follow my commands most of the time and zones out constantly!” 

“Maybe he just likes the artworks?” Carl suggested. He, of course, knew why the android kept going against his owner. He had noticed that with Markus too. They had developed free will and creativity, which he had a silent appreciation and fascination for. 

Markus still did the things Carl asked him to do, but he had picked up hobbies such as painting and reading, which wasn’t in his programming. Carl found it endearing, how a machine could act exactly like a human. If he didn’t have the LED implanted in his temple, Carl would’ve easily mistaken him for a human. It was almost to the point where he considered the android his unofficial son.

“I believe I never got your name?” Simon said with a cautious tone as they neared the front desk of the gallery. 

“My name is Markus,” he flashed the android a smile and received a shy one in return. Simon’s LED finally turned a relaxed blue again.

^^^software instability 

“Are you enjoying the art, Simon?” They walked through the automatic door, out of sight of the artworks. 

“I think they’re nice? I don’t know much about art and I haven’t downloaded any extension packs for art history either,” Simon admitted, eyes held on the floor. 

“Not your programming. YOU, Simon. What do YOU think?” Markus urged the other android. He wanted him to really experience the art, not just see them. His own experience when he had actually SEEN the art Carl created was, ironically, eye-opening. Art had been his refugee whenever he was bored or felt the strange sensation of wanting to create something. 

Simon stopped in his tracks, before jogging back to the transparent doors leading into Carl’s exhibition. Instead of scanning the artworks, he looked at them. Properly looked at them. His brows furrowed in concentration and he parted his lips as if he was about to say something, but closed them as soon as he realized he was speechless. 

Markus couldn’t help but be speechless himself, but not because of the artworks. No, it was because he was captivated by the PL600`s oh so careful smile as he gently touched the glass of the door.

His HUD alarmed him that his software was malfunctioning, but he shoved it to the side to access the damage later. Yet there was a sting in his chest that wouldn’t go away.

“I really like them,” Simon’s expression turned somber as he pointed to one of the artworks in the corner. Markus joined his side and saw the painting he was addressing. “But there’s one I can’t quite place.”

“Oh, well, I painted that one actually,” Markus admitted shyly. He had no idea why he suddenly felt shy, or if that was what emotion he was feeling. For some strange reason, he wanted to impress Simon. 

Simon turned to him and placed a light hand on his shoulder. “I might not understand it yet, but something draws me to it. You are very skilled, and I hope I’ll see more of your art in the future,” He gave Markus a look that made Markus’s system start to heat up again.

He saw his own reflection in the glass. Was he blushing? He didn’t know androids could blush. Through the glass, he saw Carl and Melissa talking, and he remembered the matter at hand. He found the receptionist and asked them for a private room, which they gave him a key too with the added information on how to get there. 

“Thank you for coming with me, Si,” Markus opened the door with his ID and held it open for Simon.

“Si?” Simon smirked at the nickname. He only ever heard that name when children addressed him, so he found it amusing that this random stranger had already started using nicknames after only having known his name for about 5 minutes.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Simon just shook his head, but Markus couldn’t help but feel as if he had said something wrong.

“Please, if you want to call me Si that’s alright. To be honest, I’m slightly tired of hearing my name being repeated 200 times a day,” Simon reassured him as they rounded the corner to where their owners stood. His LED turned red again right away as he saw his owner.

Carl and Melissa seemed to disagree about something. Carl looked mad enough that Markus thought he would stand up and slap her, though he knew he both couldn’t and wouldn’t do that. Melissa was furiously pointing to one of his paintings, only it wasn’t Carl’s. It was Markus’s painting. That’s when he understood what the argument had been about.

“He’s an android! They can’t make art!” Melissa grid her teeth at the sight of their androids getting along. “They are made by humans, so they aren’t human.”

“Technically babies are also made by humans. Every human is man-made,” Carl reminded her. He knew he was right. Biology didn’t matter anymore, especially when it came to humans. It was 2038 for God’s sake, and who or what you were didn’t matter anymore. “Androids aren’t human, but they are equal in intelligence and behavior.”

Melissa remained silent at the remark, clearly taken aback by the response. Instead of trying to pry her for forgiveness for her ignorance, Carl turned to Markus and asked if he had found a private room. 

Markus had downloaded a map over the gallery, and easily located said room. It looked something akin to a fancy conference room, with large wall-length windows and a long table standing in the middle. In the corner was a small couch that didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the abstract modern interior.

Instead of sitting by their owner’s sides, Markus and Simon sat down on the loveseat by the gallery windows. Despite there being enough space for 3 people, they sat pretty close to each other. Carl shot Markus a confused look but shook his head and adjusted his wheelchair so he was sat directly in front of Melissa. Melissa, on the other hand, seemed angry at Simon and kept her expression stern compared to the one she had welcomed Carl with. 

“Don’t speak to him Simon,” she hissed at them as Simon seemed a little too comfortable in Markus’s presence. He looked down in shame and shuffled away from his side so that he was pressed up against the armrest. 

^^^software instability

Markus felt his thirium boil inside his artificial veins. How dare she talk to him like that? 

“Let them talk if they want to,” Carl defended as he saw how defeated Simon looked, and how increasingly aggravated Markus appeared. 

Simon relaxed against Markus again, a little closer than he probably should’ve been. Markus realized he didn’t mind at all. He took Simon’s hand so that they could communicate via interfacing. That way they wouldn’t interrupt their owners.

Markus - _She isn’t very kind._

Simon - _It’s not like I can leave her. I have nowhere else to go._

Markus - _I wish I could’ve offered you a place to stay, but I don’t think Carl needs another android._

Simon – _Mr. Manfred does at least seem nice._

Markus - _He is. He was the one who encouraged me to paint, and I really enjoy it! Maybe I’ll make more artworks in the future._

Simon - _I’d love to see them. I hope Melissa will let me come back._

Markus - _I can ask Carl to personally invite you. I really want to see you again._ Markus ran his thumb over Simon’s hand, making his face color with a light blue tint, smiling shyly up at Markus.

Simon - _I would really like to see you again too._ He found himself leaning forwards and let his other hand fall in the junction between Markus’s neck and shoulder, feeling the fabric of his jacket.

“SIMON!” Melissa yelled at her android, which made him flinch away from Markus’s side. “Don’t behave like that, it’s disgusting!”

Carl slammed his hands on the table. “Don’t you dare talk to him like that.” Carl tried to keep his voice calm contrary to how angry he felt. If it was one thing he hated, it was people disrespecting others. He had seen too many abuse cases of androids on TV, and he had no idea how people could even think of hurting them. They were people, just like humans.

“He isn’t supposed to act like that!” Melissa raised her voice further to the point where she was screaming at the old man. He had none of it. 

Carl reached into his bag and pulled out a slip, writing down something on the lines. He slid it over to her with an annoyed look. “There is nothing wrong with him. He is figuring out his feelings and there is nothing we can do about it.” He had had enough with the whole android-feelings discussion.

“Markus, we’re leaving.” Markus stood up to push Carl’s wheelchair, instantly missing the feeling of Simon’s presence. He glanced back at the other android with a sad look, which Carl immediately picked up on. It was then he realized just how human his son was. “Come on Simon. We’re going home.”

Simon’s head snapped upwards at the calling of his name. There was a glimpse of hope in his eyes, but it quickly died out at how Melissa looked at him. Disgust. It was written all over her face. She clenched the check in her palm and stood up. 

She approached Simon, who was too scared to move from his spot on the couch. Markus hated the way Simon flinched when she raised her hand to grab her bag as if he had expected to be hit.

“Si?” Markus asked with the most careful voice he could manage as if to not appear threatening to the visibly frightened android. Simon slowly rose to his feet and backed away from the angry woman until he stood safely by Markus’s side. He subconsciously reached for Markus’s hand for protection. 

A man outside had heard her scream and told Carl the staff would take care of her. Markus wheeled Carl outside of the building. Since they were technically only there to approve of how the layout was, they could leave whenever they wanted to. They approached Carl’s car. Markus opened the back and activated the wheelchair loading system. 

Simon was reluctant to follow as if he was unsure if he was going to get in trouble for joining them. He stood outside the car door, scanning the vehicle several times until he stepped into it slowly. Markus gave him a reassuring smile as the PL600 sat down by his side. 

Markus pressed the home button and the vehicle drove in the direction of Carl’s mansion. There was an obvious tension in the compartment since none of them knew what to say. Markus settled with grabbing Simon’s hand in an attempt to make him feel more comfortable. What he didn’t expect was that the other android enveloped him in an almost chassis crushing embrace. Without hesitation he hugged back, sensing that this was something Simon really needed.

“Thank you, both of you.”

The day after, Markus knocked on the doorframe of Carl’s studio. Carl’s head snapped upwards to see his son standing in the doorway, knuckles turning white at the way he gripped the wood. 

“I have a problem, Carl.” 

“What’s wrong?” Carl put down his paintbrush in a jug with water and used his remote to make the helping hand go down to ground level. Markus released his tight grip on the wood and went over to Carl.

He struggled to find the words necessary to voice his concerns since he didn’t really know what he was feeling. “I’m confused… about my feelings…” Carl nodded for him to go on, but Markus needed another second to formulate the most well-structured sentence he could. 

“I feel something strange for Simon. A feeling I don’t know what is.”

“Could you try to describe what he makes you feel?” Carl urged. He had to admit that it was amusing to him when Markus was trying to figure out his feelings since something had changed in his code. Maybe it wasn’t even his code anymore, but something apart from it. 

He had a faint idea of what the man was feeling, as he had seen it so many times before. There was a twinkle in his eye that he had only ever witnessed when he saw couples who were truly in love. If anything, Carl was very attentive of things that happened around him. He had seen the way they had looked at each other at the gallery.

“I don’t know what it is, but I feel the need to protect him. Maybe hug him and listen to him speak about his passions in life.” Markus sighed at his lack of words.

“I think I might have your diagnosis,” Carl smirked at the utter stupidity of the RK200, especially when the android looked like he was in such distress.

“What Carl? Is this normal?”

“Normal, yes. But your diagnosis is very dangerous,” Markus tensed at his response, furrowing his brows as he crouched down to Carl’s level. “I think what you have is something we humans call the lovebug.”

“Lovebug? Androids can’t feel love.” Markus stated. He had never been in love before and didn’t even know androids had the ability to fall in love. He had never interacted much with other androids either, so maybe the connection they had via interfacing did something to his system?

No, that wasn’t it. He had felt another type of connection before they had even spoken to each other. Something more than just wanting to be his friend.

“Androids can’t create original art either, yet you proved that wrong,” Carl reminded him, taking a sip of the herbal tea he had standing on the table beside him. 

“So, what should I do, Carl? I don’t know anything about love except for the theoretical things!” 

“I think you should talk to him. See what he thinks.” Carl had no worries about how the interaction would go, so he shooed his son out of the studio. “Normally I would have disapproved of this love-at-first-sight stuff, but I truly believe you can make it work. I see what he does to you, and I’m just happy you’re happy.”

“Thank you, Carl,” and with that, Markus was gone. 

Markus wasn’t exactly sure where Simon was, so he took a trip around the house, without any luck. It was only when he looked out Carl’s bedroom window, he saw the PL600 sitting by the fountain, surrounded by flowers.

It was then he had no doubt that what he felt was love. He slid down onto the window lounge and stared out of the thin glass. He found himself admiring how calm he became when seeing the other android. When he had scanned him when they had first met, he got to know that his model was a domestic assistant. By that fact, he assumed that he had to be child friendly and comfortable to have in a household. 

Maybe that was why he felt such an attraction to Simon? He felt a type of calmness whenever he was around him that he had never felt around anyone else, even Carl. 

^^^system instability

Oh, fuck his system! He knew this wasn’t in his programming, he had accepted that much. Carl had told him it was normal, and he trusted the old man to reassure him of what he was feeling. He just didn’t know how to approach Simon about it. They had only known each other for a day after all. 

He decided to just roll with it and try to pick up hints of what Simon felt in return. 

When entering the garden beside Carl’s house he saw Simon in the same position as before. His gentle features were further softened by the soon setting sun. He had borrowed some of Markus’s clothes to make himself feel more comfortable, which were slightly loose on his slender frame. 

He readjusted himself slightly on the fountain, so he sat more upright. Markus took note of how the oversized sweater sagged slightly down on his left side, exposing his shoulder, collarbone, and neck. The light danced over his skin in a way that made Markus’s heart flutter.

He made his way over to the PL600, admiring his aesthetically pleasing design, silently thanking CyberLife for their design choice. He sat down by Simon, keeping his distance just in case he wanted to back away from him. 

Simon on the other hand, tried to subtly change his pose again to slide closer to Markus, only to slip into the fountain. He immediately tried to get up, only to trip on his own legs and getting completely soaked. 

Markus couldn’t hold back the roaring laughter that erupted deep from his chest. Simon ducked down in embarrassment and shame, thinking Markus was laughing at his mistake.

Markus took off his shoes and slung his legs over to the other side of the fountain border.

“You could’ve at least taken off your socks. Now they’re wet too,” Simon shook his hands in a bad attempt of ridding himself of the water. Some of it splattered onto Markus’s t-shirt, so he flicked some back on Simon. “Stop! I’m getting wet!” 

“Says the guy who is bathing in a fountain.” Markus bumped his foot against Simon’s leg in an attempt of mockery. He assumed his little banter worked as the PL600`s face went bright blue.

“It wasn’t intentional,” Simon muttered, playing with the water as if he had no intention of getting out of the water. Markus couldn’t help the fond smile that his face involuntarily made.

“Do you need any help getting up?” He didn’t even give him time to answer before hoisting him out of the water. Their body was flush up against each other, soaking the front of Markus’s t-shirt and pants. He didn’t mind getting wet, especially since he couldn’t get sick from the dropping temperatures.

Markus noted just how close they were, faces barely a few inches apart. It took him everything to resist kissing Simon right there and then. Rather, he let his hand rest on the android’s cheek to see what kind of reaction he would get. Simon leaned into the touch like a cat desperate to get scratched, hands clasping over Markus’s and tracing the knuckles with his thumb. 

Several system errors popped up on his HUD, telling him that both his internal cooling system and software needed to be repaired. He shoved them aside to get the best view possible of the android in front of him.

Simon’s hands went around the taller android’s waist, bringing their already close bodies even tighter against each other. 

“I’m so glad they only made one of you,” Simon whispered as he studied Markus’s features, blushing when he realized Cyberlife had given him abs. The brief question of `is he anatomically correct?` popped up in his mind, making his already flushed face warmer. 

“So, does that mean I won’t have any competition?” Markus teased, running his hand down Simon’s spine.

“Who said you had any competition in the first place?” Simon reassured him. “I feel something different when I’m with you,”

“Good feelings?” Markus looked down on Simon with half-lidded eyes, the urge of moving just a few inches forwards burned in his chest. 

“Mhm. Very good feelings.” He leaned forwards for the long-awaited kiss. It was slightly awkward since none of them were programmed to do such actions. Still, androids weren’t supposed to feel love either, or create art, so in reality, anything was possible.

Markus’s lips felt cold as they parted, instantly missing the burning feeling in his chest. Was that what love felt like?

“Can I paint you?” 

“It would be an honor.”

“I’ll get you some dry clothes,” Markus ran upstairs into the guestroom where he had some normal `human clothes`. Carl always urged him to wear things that were comfortable and was irritated that androids had to wear uniforms when in public. None of the clothes would fit Simon properly, so he picked out what he thought would look best on him.

They walked hand in hand into Carl’s studio. Markus gave Simon the dry clothes, intentionally having picked out just underwear and another oversized sweater. He pulled out an easel, along with a decently sized canvas while Simon undressed. He couldn’t help but peek at the other as he stood naked before him.

“Do you mind me painting you nude?” Markus couldn’t help but ask. He had never gotten to work with nude models before, so it was a golden opportunity. Simon was just about to put on the underwear when he asked, and quickly discarded the garment to accept his request.

Markus led him over to where he had sat the easel, gesturing for him to sit on the edge of the table. He posed the PL600 until the light hit him just right, walking backward to inspect the scene he was about to paint.

When the palette was drenched in color, he started creating the basic shapes, especially capturing how his muscles twisted and the way light illuminated his skin as if it was glowing. He also made sure to amplify his soft features, focusing heavily on the calm expression he donned. 

He had never felt such inspiration before. Even though Carl had told him time and time again that painting was about improving reality, in Markus’s eyes, he couldn’t improve anything. He thought Simon was perfect the way he was, even though there were thousands of androids out there who looked just like him. 

No. There was something different about him. Something about his eyes and the way he smiled. Whenever he looked into those eyes, he didn’t see the artificial eyes of an android, he saw life in them. 

Maybe that was what he liked about Simon, how alive he felt around him. As if his life had meaning apart from being a caretaker. 

“Markus?” Simon snapped Markus out of his bubble. Only then had he realized he had stopped painting. Paint ran down his brush and onto his skin, staining it a gentle baby blue. 

“Sorry, I got distracted…” Markus admitted and found a rag to clean up the mess he had made. Simon walked over to him and swiped the rug with his finger, swabbing some of the paint. He made a line down Markus’s nose and one on each cheek. 

“All ready to change the world now,” Simon made the last line over Markus’s mouth. He picked up some unblended red paint from his palette and put it on his own lips haphazardly. “Red and blue makes purple right?”

“Want to put that theory to the test?” Markus embraced Simon’s lips with his own, not caring if paint got everywhere. While they were still connected, Simon dragged him back to the table he had posed on. 

Markus lifted him onto the table and stood between his legs to get even closer. He let his mouth trail downwards to the exposed neck and shoulders. Purple paint littered his neck, mimicking bruises. His hands traced the faint muscle on Simon’s chest until they settled on his hips.

He handed the android his clothes as to not feel too exposed. Even though they had no private parts, they had gotten so used to wearing clothes that it felt right to cover up. He dipped the rag in some water and cleaned their faces to remove any evidence of their previous endeavors. 

“When was the last time you slept?” Markus scanned him, noticing how his system seemed like an absolute whirlwind. He always preferred the word sleep over stasis or standby mode, as it felt more alive to use. Androids were able to sleep standing up but sleeping like humans did was a part of the deviated mind.

Markus assumed he worried so much that he never found the time to rest, which was essential for androids. Even though they weren’t biologically made and technically didn’t need sleep, they needed some kind of downtime to save memory and repair minor external/internal damages.

Simon shook his head, burying his head in the crook of the other’s neck. He sighed and muttered “2 weeks, 3 days, 15 hours, 42 minutes, and 56 seconds.”

Markus wrapped his hands under Simon’s thighs and lifted him up from the table. Simon in turn held on around his neck as not to fall. “Let’s get some well-deserved sleep then,” Markus murmured into his ear. They weren’t even halfway up the stairs before Simon had fallen asleep on his shoulder. 

“Carl?” Markus called out for the old man who was sitting by the TV, attentively watching the news with a displeased expression. However, it cleared up into an easy smile when he saw the two androids together. “Can we use the guestroom to get some sleep?”

“All yours,” 

“I’ll be right back to help you. I’m just going to tuck Simon in for the night,” Markus turned around, missing the fond smile the human donned. He also missed what they discussed on the news. 

“Elijah Kamski, the founder of CyberLife, has recently spoken out about the newfound deviants. He told Century Magazine he will return in his position as CEO of the company and better accommodate each android’s needs. The production of new androids will stop, but biocomponents and spare parts will be focused on for private purchase. Android rights will be discussed further in another interview.”

“At least something good is happening in the world,” Carl muttered to himself before switching off the TV.

Markus opened the door to the relatively untouched guestroom. He was one of the only ones who had used it the few years he had been active. It always looked neat, since he made sure to make the bed to perfection every time he had to use it for standby mode. 

He put Simon down as carefully as he could, as not to wake him from his stasis, kissing his temple just because he could. He pulled the duvet over his slender body even though it didn’t help for their already regulated heat. 

Carl was on his way upstairs when he came out of the room. Markus waited for the lift to get all the way up, before wheeling the man into the bathroom. He pulled out a fresh pair of nightclothes and found the medicine he needed for the evening.

“Am I right to assume everything went well between the two of you?” Carl eyed Markus's lips, which still had some of the purple paint on it. 

“I guess you were right...”

“Of course I was. I may be old, but I’m not stupid Markus. I can see when people are oblivious and need to pull their heads out of their asses.” Markus chuckled at the sneering comment, helping him into his nightwear. 

“Remember, if you want someone to stick around, you have to treat them the way you want them to treat you.” Carl shared some words of wisdom as Markus handed him his medicines along with a glass of water. “Do you understand where I’m going with this?” He popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed them down swiftly with a swing of water.

“I do, and you know I will treat him with the love he deserves,” Markus assured him. “Good night, Carl,”

“Good night.”

Markus went back into the guest room to his partner. It felt surreal calling another android he had barely known for two days his lover, but as Carl said, he believed they could make it work.

When Carl noticed Markus sitting alone at the bottom of the stairway with a tablet in his hand, he felt the need to accompany him. He knew Simon was running his errands for today, so he wouldn’t be home for another few hours.

It had been neat having another person around because Markus could catch a break once in a while. Not that he didn’t have any free time. In fact, he probably had less to do than most androids. Yet Carl had a feeling he was tired of going to Bellini’s every time he ran out of paint. 

He spotted the article he was reading, titled `android sex officially better!`. He smirked at the title, thinking the android was going through his teen-figuring-things-out phase. Markus looked at him in confusion, eyes darting between the tablet and the old man.

“You see, Markus, when two androids love each other very much,” Carl started, only to be cut off by the android.

“Carl, that’s not what-” Markus tried to stop him, but he continued anyway.

“They might want to take their relationship,” 

“Carl” 

“To the next level.”

“Carl, I know where this is going, and I don’t like it!”

“I just want you to be safe, Markus!” Carl argued. He felt a strange fondness for the man, considering him his son. He would treat him as such when it came to grown-up matters.

“Carl, listen! We are androids, not humans! We can’t get pregnant or get STDs. We don’t even have the necessary parts to have sex!”

“Oh, but they do have upgrades online with the `necessary parts`.” Carl gave him that cheeky grin he always had whenever he had said anything even mildly suggestive or rude.

“Carl!”

“I just want my son to be happy!”

Markus was slightly taken aback by Carl calling him son but welcomed the title with open arms. “Thank you, Carl…”

“I’ll have them ordered right away!”

“No that’s not what I meant!”

“I can buy them, and you’ll decide whether you want to use them or not. Alright?” Carl took the tablet from Markus’s hand and opened the catalog for android accessories and replacement parts. He entered their model numbers and found the parts they were searching for. He handed the tablet to Markus again, so he could choose what he wanted.

“…okay, thanks.” Markus couldn’t look at Carl with what he just had to go through. He was grateful for his generosity, but he didn’t quite know if he would have tackled the `birds and the bees` talk when he already had the entire internet in his software. 

It was not like they would use the accessories anyways.

As much as Carl appreciated having another helping him with chores, there were times he regretted bringing him to his house.

Let’s just say Carl had many sleepless nights after the “necessary parts” came in the mail.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Kudos and comments are always welcome!
> 
> For reference, the painting Markus displayed was "humanity-hope".


End file.
